‘Dave Luczak Era’ Ending In Milwaukee
• After more than 40 remarkable years anchoring morning drive on Saga Classic Rock WKLH/Milwaukee, market legend Dave Luczak has announced his retirement. His final broadcast will happen on Friday, Dec. 20.
“To anyone who has ever listened to the morning show on 96-5 in Milwaukee, all I can say is ‘Thank You!'” said Luczak. “What an incredible ride it’s been. I started in February of 1984 (Ronald Reagan was in his first term… ha!) Almost 10,000 shows! I feel truly blessed. Working a dream job, for a company I respect and admire, and in a city and state that I absolutely love. I am a very lucky man. I will miss the daily connection with our listeners, and I’ll miss working with my friends, but I won’t miss that alarm ringing at 3:15am.”
Luczak has also been a part of every WKLH Miracle Marathon for 26 years, raising over $30 million for Children’s Wisconsin. His unwavering dedication to supporting children and families in need has made a lasting impact.
Bob Bellini, Pres./GM of Saga’s Milwaukee Media Group, remarked, “Having shared this incredible journey with Dave for 36 of his 40 years, I will certainly miss his presence on our team. However, his legacy of passion and devotion to our listeners and our community will continue to set a standard of excellence that we can all draw on as we go forward, and I am truly excited about the future of our morning show going forward.”
WKLH Mornings: The Next Generation
• That future begins on Jan. 2, when current WKLH midday host Dave Coombs (left) will enjoy the rare thrill of resetting his alarm to 3:15am to join castmates Dorene Michaels and Marcus Allen as co-host of the next chapter of Milwaukee’s Hometown Morning Show.
“When WKLH was assembling a list of candidates to replace Dave Luczak, I was lucky I had the correct first name,” said Coombs, also conveniently named Dave. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Dave for four of his 40+ years of service, and I wish we could all continue together forever. The new morning show will contain a lot of your favorite elements, along with some new twists. And we’ll be counting on WKLH listeners to add a lot of content as well. Can’t wait to get started with Dorene and Marcus on the next generation of morning radio in Milwaukee.”
WKLH Brand Manager Borna Velic adds, “I want to congratulate Dave Luczak on an extraordinary career. He set a gold standard for Milwaukee broadcasting, and I wish him nothing but the best in his well-deserved retirement. I’m thrilled to welcome Dave Coombs to ‘KLH mornings as he brings incredible experience and enthusiasm. I’m confident that he, Dorene, and Marcus will continue to deliver an entertaining morning show our audience expects and deserves.”
> The Dave Luczak Farewell Tour will kick off with a special live public broadcast from 7-10am on Friday, Dec. 13, at Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery in Milwaukee. WKLH listeners are invited to show up and personally celebrate Luczak, who will return to the studio for one final week of shows beginning Monday, Dec. 16, with plenty of surprise guests, culminating in his last official broadcast on Friday, Dec. 20.
